If you were to say the word "director" to any person on the street, chances are the first name that will pop into their head is Steven Spielberg. To even say the filmmaker's catalog of films is prolific would be an understatement of gargantuan proportions. Ever since the legendary figure directed the breakout hit Jaws (1975), which practically invented the blockbuster and shattered just about every box office record known to man, Spielberg has produced hit after hit. For the few who aren't familiar with the director's work, these films include the first four Indiana Jones films, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler's List (1993), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Lincoln (2012), and most recently, the well-received remake of West Side Story (2021), just to name a few of his works. Suffice it to say this resume makes Steven Spielberg one of the if not the most influential and universally recognized filmmakers working today.
Over thirty feature films later, Spielberg is showing no signs of hanging up the director's hat anytime soon, and his next project is without a doubt his most personal cinematic endeavor yet. Premiering at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, The Fabelmans (2022) tells the story of a middle-class Jewish-American family living in Arizona post-World War II, where one boy of the family finds himself falling in love with the art of filmmaking. In case it wasn't already obvious, The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical tale heavily inspired by Spielberg's own early life, and how his parents and the rest of his family would influence him forever. Much like many of Spielberg's past films, The Fabelmans has found a lot of success in the awards circuit and received seven Oscar nominations at this year's Academy Awards.
To find out exactly how to watch Steven Spielberg's newest classic, read below to find out how to watch the acclaimed director's ode to family and filmmaking.
Editor's Note: This piece was updated on February 12, 2023.
Is The Fabelmans Streaming or in Theaters?
It shouldn't come as a major surprise that The Fabelmans was first made available to watch in the place where Spielberg thinks all feature films should be seen; the theater. Just like Spielberg himself was inspired when watching Lawrence of Arabia (1962), hopefully, a new generation of filmmakers has been inspired by the cinematic representation of his own story. Despite the film already being available on VOD and soon on Blu-ray, it is still playing in theaters across the country.
The film is also available now on-demand to purchase and rent on your platform of choice. The film will soon be available to stream on Peacock, Universal's streaming service, but there is no word yet on when that'll be.
The Fabelmans will also be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD starting on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, just in time for Valentine's Day. The film will be available to purchase wherever Blu-rays are sold.
When Did The Fabelmans Release?
The Fabelmans opened in limited release in select cities on November 11, 2022. It later made expanded to more theaters on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022.
The Fabelmans Showtimes:
You can use the following links to find showtimes for The Fabelmans that are near you.
What Oscar Nominations Did The Fabelmans Receive?
The Fabelmans received seven Oscar nominations at this year's Academy Awards. The film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director for Steven Spielberg, Best Actress for Michelle Williams, Best Supporting Actor for Judd Hirsch, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design.
What Is the Plot of The Fabelmans?
The official synopsis for Spielberg's latest cinematic marvel reads as follows:
Loosely based on Spielberg's childhood growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, from age seven to eighteen, a young man named Sammy Fabelman discovers a shattering family secret, and explores how the power of movies help us see the truth about each other and ourselves.
Since The Fabelmans isn't a literal beat-by-beat recreation of Spielberg's life, it's not necessarily fair to say that the film will follow the exact same story, but chances are Sammy will fulfill his dream of making movies in some form or another.
Watch the Trailer for The Fabelmans
The trailer for The Fabelmans makes one thing perfectly clear: Steven Spielberg really loves movies. The same can easily be said for Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel Labelle), who's the film's main character and a stand-in for Spielberg himself in the story. The trailer also showcases Spielberg's knack for visual storytelling, as well as some stellar cinematography from Janusz Kamiński, who has been working with Spielberg ever since Schindler's List. As Sammy's desire to make movies intensifies, he gets a swell of support from his mother, Mitzi (Michelle Williams), and a wave of skepticism from his father, Burt (Paul Dano). As one might expect, Mitzi and Burt Fabelman are heavily inspired by Steven's own parents, Leah and Arnold Spielberg.
Other Semi-Autobiographical Films to Watch
Almost Famous (2000): Written and directed by Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire), Almost Famous is loosely based on Crowe's experience writing for the New York Times, where he wrote stories on numerous rock bands including The Allman Brothers Band and The Who. The film only follows one fictitious band called Stillwater, where young William Miller (Patrick Fugit) defies his overprotective mother, Elaine (Frances McDormand), to go cover the band's exploits. During that time he falls in love with a groupie, Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), whose maturity creates a coming-of-age scenario that will lead William on an incredible adventure.
8 Mile (2002): Eminem may be most well-known as a world-renowned rapper and musician, but 8-Mile gives a unique look into his life before hitting it big. Set in the artist's hometown of Detroit, Eminem himself plays the lead character of Jimmy, an aspiring young rapper who is willing to put his personal life to the side to pursue a career in making music. Though he is almost constantly told by his peers and rivals that he'll never succeed in this goal, this does nothing to deter him from achieving his dream of making music and contributing to a historically significant genre.
tick, tick...BOOM! (2021): Based on the Broadway show by Rent creator Jonathan Larson, it's more of a rock concert than a story-driven play, so it's not one that's easily adaptable. Yet, first-time feature film director Lin-Manuel Miranda and star Andrew Garfield are able to tell Larson's story in an incredible way, while also incorporating his show's incredible music. Like many of these semi-autobiographies from artists of different backgrounds, tick, tick...BOOM! is ultimately a story of passion for one's craft and finding one's place in the world.